Hicks: Carly Rae Jepsen, Train pull out of Boy Scout concert

Carly Rae Jepsen and Bay Area band Train canceled appearances at a Boy Scouts event over the organization's ban on homosexuals.

On Tuesday, Jepsen said she wouldn't participate in the Boy Scouts' 2013 National Scout Jamboree, according to TMZ. The singer was slated to appear at the event in Mount Hope, W.Va., in July but decided to back out because of the Boy Scouts of America's anti-gay stance.

The "Call Me Maybe" singer announced her decision on Twitter, saying, "As an artist who believes in equality for all people, I will not be participating in the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree this summer. ... I always have and will continue to support the LGBT community on a global level ... and stay informed on the ever changing landscape in the ongoing battle for gay rights in this country and across the globe."

Just a quick question: Why did they sign up for this thing in the first place? Don't they read? This whole Boy Scout thing isn't exactly a secret.

Meanwhile, the organization is considering dropping the ban or leaving the decision on whether to admit gays up to individual chapters -- a decision on the matter is tentatively due in May. The Scouts signaled a possible readiness to change its policy after Moraga Scout Ryan Andresen made worldwide headlines when he was denied Eagle Scout status because he is openly gay.

GLAAD commended Jepsen's decision on its website, according to the Huffington Post.

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"No fair-minded media outlet, corporation or celebrity will want to partner with the BSA as long as the organization puts discrimination and anti-gay bias before the needs of young people," Rich Ferraro, GLAAD's vice president of communications, said in a statement. "Carly Rae Jepsen and Train's decisions not only send the right message to the BSA, but remind LGBT young people that they are supported and accepted."

Train announced they wouldn't play on Monday, unless they Boy Scouts change their anti-gay policy before the summer.

The Boy Scouts upheld its ban of gay members in February, announcing that a vote on the policy will be held in May. The group decided to push back the decision due to the "complexity" of the issue, according to the Associated Press.

The Scouts have faced public backlash over its discriminatory practices and have lost donations from major sponsors, such as UPS and Intel.